Ride the Tide

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
1

<p>From the Phoenix:</p>

<p>April 13, 2006</p>

<p>Ride the Tide events expected to attract new students
BY TALLY SHARMA</p>

<p>In preparation for Swarthmore’s upcoming Ride the Tide program set for April 20 and 21, group organizers and admissions representatives alike are cooperating to ensure that prospective students will experience a tangible “day in the life of a Swattie.” </p>

<p>An annual event, Ride the Tide is an admitted students program that intends to provide potential students with an accurate portrayal of the Swarthmore environment. </p>

<p>Suzi Nam, director of admissions and coordinator of Ride the Tide, described it as an ideal opportunity for prospective students to acquaint themselves with the campus atmosphere as a whole. “The point is to make sure that folks get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a Swattie for a day so that they can make informed decisions on why they’re choosing Swarthmore over their many other acceptances,” she said. </p>

<p>In the past, Ride the Tide occurred over a weekend. According to Nam, participation in the program has increased significantly since the college decided to schedule it over two weekdays. “Around three years ago, we wisely decided to switch to a schedule during the week because we were losing students to other programs during the weekend,” she said. “What I love about the program during the week is that it’s not at all contrived; the schedule simulates what a weeknight at Swarthmore would be.” </p>

<p>The task of finding accommodations for so many students during Ride the Tide is a challenge in and of itself, according to Nam. “Hosting is a perennial challenge because you’re dealing with dynamic beings,” she said. </p>

<p>Alex Cook, admissions counselor and director for this year’s events, agreed. “We match some students with hosts who are from the same geographic location or who have the same interests,” he said. “The matching process is tough to do in two hours, but the more you plan, the less messy it is. It’s important that specs get a sense of Swarthmore’s character from the students that they interact with.” </p>

<p>Cook predicts that the campus might receive an influx of prospective students equivalent in number to 15 percent of the campus during Ride the Tide. </p>

<p>“We’re expecting somewhere over 200 students,” he said. “So far, with RSVPs still trickling in, we’re anticipating around 256 people.” </p>

<p>Prospective students will be arriving on campus from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. “This will allow plenty of time for them to find their rooms, get settled and find out what activities are happening,” said Cook. </p>

<p>Among the assorted events that will take place on campus during Ride the Tide, Free Culture Swarthmore will be organizing a “remixer” that is tentatively set for Thursday night in Science Center 199, the Cuniff Lecture Hall. “It’s going to allow people to mix around and talk to each other; it will give them a chance to make their own music videos,” said Nelson Pavlosky ’06, a co-founder of Free Culture Swarthmore. “We’re really trying to make it a hands-on experience. We’re trying to demonstrate how technology can democratize creativity — it’s something everyone should do.” </p>

<p>Additionally, FCS is hosting a remixed music video contest at freeculture.org. The winning video of the competition will be highlighted at Free Culture’s “Pirate Party” the following Friday. </p>

<p>Swarthmore Sudan will be showing the MTV documentary featuring Swarthmore student Stephanie Nyombayire ’08’s trip to Chad last year. The screening will be in Mephistos Lounge. “A question and answer session will follow the showing,” said Joel Mittleman ’09, a member of Swat Sudan. “Steph will also talk about her experience afterward.” </p>

<p>Cook said that one of his favorite events for Ride the Tide that has been planned is the Feminist Dance Party, which will take place at the Women’s Resource Center. Another idea that will be piloted this year is “Stair Ball,” a proposal that was conceptualized completely by Swatties. </p>

<p>The Admissions Office provides prospective students with a comprehensive evaluation form at the end of Ride the Tide in order to get feedback about the overall effectiveness of the program. “We really care about the follow-up,” said Nam. “It’s sometimes frustrating because students visit and have a good time, but the reality of the situation is that Ride the Tide is a small factor in respect to parental and social pressures. We’re hoping that it can make or break their decisions, but it’s a piece of the puzzle that we find very variable.” </p>

<p>Nevertheless, numbers show that the matriculation level for students who have participated in Ride the Tide is over 50 percent, above the normal yield rate. </p>

<p>The nature of Ride the Tide, said Nam, is quite a unique characteristic among the college decisions process. “We’re able to meet people’s different interests, and I’m proud of that,” she said. “For the most part, these are the students’ ideas. The program is very authentic; I don’t know how many colleges can say this about their admitted students programs.”</p>